Juventus have been left on the brink of Champions League elimination after suffering a chaotic 5-2 defeat to Galatasaray in the first leg of their play-off tie in Istanbul on Tuesday.
The Serie A side went into the break with a 2-1 lead at RAMS Park, but a ruthless second-half response from the Turkish champions turned the contest on its head.
Galatasaray struck first in the 15th minute through Gabriel Sara, whose long-range strike flew beyond Michele Di Gregorio and set the tone for a frantic evening.
Juventus barely had time to regroup before hitting back, with Teun Koopmeiners reacting quickest after Ugurcan Cakir parried Pierre Kalulu’s header into his path.
The visitors looked increasingly comfortable as the half wore on, and they edged ahead in the 32nd minute when Koopmeiners drilled home from outside the box.
Juventus had done the hard work to silence the stadium, but they could not sustain it after the interval.
Galatasaray came flying out and equalised four minutes into the second half, as Noa Lang finished from close range after Di Gregorio could only push a Baris Alper Yilmaz effort into danger.
The home side’s momentum kept building, and they moved in front on the hour when Davinson Sanchez turned in a Sara delivery to make it 3-2.
Juventus’ hopes of riding out the pressure were dealt a major blow in the 67th minute, when substitute Juan Cabal was dismissed for a second yellow card after a reckless challenge.
Galatasaray took full advantage of the extra man and stretched the lead after 75 minutes.
Victor Osimhen’s pressure forced a mistake in the Juventus area, and the ball broke kindly for Lang. He made no mistake to score his second of the night.
The tie was effectively put out of reach four minutes from time, as Osimhen again played a key role and substitute Sacha Boey smashed in from a tight angle to complete the scoring.
Juventus now face a desperate task in the second leg, knowing they will need a performance of real character to avoid crashing out before the last 16.
It was a statement night for Galatasaray in front of their supporters and one that has put them within touching distance of a first Champions League last-16 appearance since 2014.
